Light weight plug valve



J. T. MYERS LIGHT WEIGHT PLUG VALVE April 29, 1958 Filed April 28, 1953 (v w a mT m E M J rron/vex:

United States Patent LIGHT WEIGHT PLUG VALVE Joseph T. Myers, Kent, Ohio Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,531

4 Claims. (Cl. 251-175) This invention relates to improvements in a nonmetallic valve and more particularly to a valve of the plug type adapted to hold pressures of the order of ten to twenty pounds per square inch gage.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a light but eflicient valve adapted to seal against fluid pressures of the order of ten to twenty pounds per square inch gage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve of the type described which is operable manually and which is so constructed and arranged that the greater the pressure, the tighter the valve seals.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a central sectional view through a valve of my improved design taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the valve of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, while Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modification wherein an angle valve is provided in place of the straight through valve of Fig. 1.

The present invention is directed toward a non-metallic valve which will be light in weight and therefore I have shown my valve as made of rubber-like or synthetic rubher-like material and having a valve body 10, which comprises a generally cylindrical tube a in the central portion of which is provided an upstanding annular neck 10b, the outer end of which turns radially outwardly at 10c and is preferably provided with a hook-like termination 10d. The inside face of the neck 10!) as indicated at 102 is preferably of frusto-conical form for a purpose which will presently be apparent. Concentric with the neck 10!) and diametrically opposite the same there is provided a circular well 10 which is slightly lower than the bottom of the through opening 10g, the well 10 having a flat bottom to receive a plug. As viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be apparent that the neck 10b merges into inclined walls 10h which extend down and merge with the bottom wall 101', which in turn is integral with the bottom wall of the tubular portion 10a.

The valve plug 11 comprises a main body portion 11a generally of frusto-conical form and complementary to the frusto-conical walls 10:: of the body. The body 11a is concentric with the neck 10b and the plug has a top portion 11b, which extends generally in a plane normal to the concentric axis. The top portion extends radially outwardly at 11c, having a portion preferably flat closely engaging the fiat portion 100 previously described. The peripheral wall of the portion 11c then turns downwardly at 11d, inwardly at He and slightly upwardly at 11 so that these parts closely engage and generally conform to the parts 100 and 10d previously described. Through the plug portion 11a extends a through opening 11g genice erally in line with the tubular opening 10g previously described. Where the tubular opening is inch diameter, the area of the opening 11g is arranged to be approximately equal to the area of a diameter circle.

When the parts are assembled as shown in the drawings, the interengaging sealing parts shown at the top of the plug or the parts 100 and 10d are coated with a slight amount of lubricant such as oil and the top is then snapped over the valve body portions 10c and 10d to the assembled position shown in the drawings. It is then possible to turn the plug in the valve body, but it is almost impossible to remove the valve plug from the valve body without special tools.

In order to insure relative rotation between the valve plug and the valve body, I prefer to make these parts out of rubber having somewhat slippery characteristics on the surface. I may use chlorinated rubber or -I may used a mixture of natural and synthetic rubbers together with a small amount of rumbago which gives the desired slipper surface on the rubber after it is formed;

While it is not necessary in every case, I prefer to insure a better sealing action of my valve by making the valve plug 11 of such flexible and resilient characteristics that it is adapted to be stretched slightly by the pressure encountered in the valve and its connections. For instance, in a valve designed to resist ten to twenty pounds of air pressure, I prefer to make the plug of rubber-like material of approximately 45 durometer hardness while making the valve body portion 10 of material having rubber-like characteristics and of a durometer approxi mately 60 hardness. However, I have made satisfactory products wherein the valve plug 11 was between 50 and 60 durometer hardness and wherein the valve body .lt) was between and durometer hardness.

It results from this construction when plug 11 is oscillated 90 degrees from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the opening 11g is crosswise of the tube portion 10:: of the valve body'and thus closes the tubular passageway 10g against flow through and past the valve plug. At this time, the bottom of the valve plug is forced against the surface 10 because of the internal pressure in the opening 11g and causes a tighter seal there. At the same time, the portion 11a above the opening 11g is forced upwardly causing a tighter seal by expanding the plug somewhat against the frusto-conical surface 10c. At the same time, the lip He is pulled more tightly into the hook-shaped portion 10c and 10d of the valve body so as to tighten the seal there.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the lip 11e as molded tends to curl upwardly somewhat as indicated in dotdash lines in Fig. 3 when the material is in an unstressed condition. It results from this construction, that when the parts are assembled as shown in full lines in Figs.

1 and 3, a tighter seal is provided between the inter-.

engaging parts 11c, 11d, 11c and 11 where they engaged the parts and 10d.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the bottom of the plug valve 11 does not quite bottom against the surface 161- when the parts are in unstressed condition. This places the load of the bearing of the plug valve in the valve body between the upper portion of the plug 11a and the frusto-conical surface 102 of the neck portion 1%. This avoids any distortion of the lower end of the plug valve 11.

A modification is shown in Fig. 4 wherein my invention is utilized for an angle valve. in this form of the invention the valve body lid is provided with tubular opening g and 110g so as to form a passageway making a 90 degree turn. The walls the valve body also form a neck portion at 1101; and extend clear around the plug 111 as shown at 110k, The valve body also supplies partial walls at 110 below the plug, but these walls are interrupted to. provide an opening 110k, registering with the plug opening 111g. The parts 100 and 10d on the valve body and the parts 11b, 11c, 11d, lle, and 11) on the valve plug are exactly like those already described and therefore have been given the same reference numbers. The preferred materials in this case are like those first described, namely, that the generally frusto-conical plug 111 should be of flexible resilient rubber-like material preferably somewhat more easily stretched or expanded than the material of the valve body 110. The rubber-like materials having the durometer hardness specified for the first described form will be satisfactory for the modification of Fig. 4. The parts of Fig. 4 are assembled as previously described by forcing the plug onto the valve body until the lip portions 11:1, 119, and 11 snap into the position shown in Fig. 4. The rubberlike parts have a slippery surface so that the parts may be relatively rotated, but the plug is very diflicultly disassembled from the valve body, this being practically impossible without special tools.

What I claim is:

1. A valve consisting of a valve body and a valve plug, said body having a through'flow opening and a plug receiving opening communicating with said flow opening at an angle thereto and with atmosphere at its outer end, said plug-receiving opening having an axis and its Walls a surface of revolution about said axis, there being a flange extending laterally away from said walls of said plug-receiving opening at an angle to its axis, said plug having a snug fit in said opening, said plug having a through opening adapted to communicate with said flow opening when said plug is in valve-open position and adapted to close said flow opening when said plug is in valve-closed position, said plug being oscillatable in said plug receiving opening, a continuous cup-shape resilient border around the outer end of said plug adapted to grip said flange and hold said plug in its associated opening in both valve-open and valve-closed positions, and said plug being of resilient rubber-like material adapted to be stretched at the pressure said valve is designed to hold, whereby said plug is expanded tightly in its associated opening under working pressure.

2. A valve consisting of a valve body and a valve plug, said body having a through flow opening and a plug receiving opening communicating with said flow opening at an angle thereto and with atmosphere at its outer end, said plug-receiving opening having an axis and its walls a surface of revolution about said axis, there being a flange extending laterally away from said walls of said plug-receiving opening at an angle to its axis, said plug having a snug fit in said opening, said plug having a through opening adapted-to communicate with said flow opening when said plug is in valve-open position and adapted to close said flow opening when said plug is in valve-closed position, said plug being oscillatable in said plug receiving opening, a continuous cup-shape resilient border around the outer end of said plug adapted to grip 4 said flange and hold said plug in its associated opening in both .valve-openand valve-closed positions, and said plug being of softer and more resilient material than said body.

3. A valve consisting of a valve body and a valve plug, said body having a through flow opening and a plug receiving opening communicating with said flow opening at an angle thereto and with atmosphere at its outer end, said plug-receiving opening having an axis and its walls a surface of revolution about-said axis, there being a flange extendinglaterally away from said walls of said plug-receiving opening at an angle to its axis, said plug having a snug fit in said opening, said plug having a through opening adapted to communicate with said flow opening when said plug is in valve-open position and adapted to close said flow opening when said plug is in valve-closed position, said plug being oscillatable in said plug receiving opening, a continuous cup-shape resilient border around the outer end of said plug adapted to grip said flange and hold said plug in its associated opening in both valve-open and valve-closed positions, and said resilient border being integral with said plug and C-shape in section where it grips said flange.

4. A valve consisting of a valve body and a valve plug, said body having a through flow opening and a plug receiving opening communicating with said flow opening at an angle thereto and with atmosphere at its outer end, said plug-receiving opening having an axis and its walls a surface of revolution about said axis, there being .a flange extending laterally away from said walls of said plug-receiving opening at an angle to its axis, said plug having a snug fit in said opening, said plug having a through opening adapted to communicate with said flow opening when said plug is in valve-open position and adapted to close said flow opening when said plug is in valve-closed position, said plug being oscillatable in said plug receiving opening, a continuous cup-shape resilient border around the outer end of said plug adapted to grip said flange and hold said plug in its associated opening in both valve-open and valve-closed positions, said plug and its associated opening being frusto-conical in shape, said body and plug being of rubber-like material having slippery surfaces where said body and plug engage, said plug being of softer and more resilient material than said body, and said resilient border being integral with said plug and C-shape in section where it grips said flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,780 Griflin Dec. 23, 1879 865,406 Linker Sept. 10, 1907 1,416,173 Conrath May 16, 1922 1,909,303 Mueller May 16, 1933 2,138,767 Matthews Nov, 29, 1938 2,271,349 Saurer Jan. 27, 1942 2,571,925 Mueller Oct. 16, 1951 2,619,088 Saflir Nov. 25, 1952 

